Starfox: The Precursor's Arrival
by stazedaniels
Summary: When an unexpected malfunction in man's first attempt at teleportation ends up transporting a lone man to the lost civilization of Cerinia, where human are no longer the top of the food chain, and a nefarious presence lies hidden among the planet's depths, Axel Roger's survival lingers on a tribe all but lost to the cosmos. However, his biggest threat may come from within...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"_Center of Cumulonimbus cloud system detected. Engaging operating procedure Tesla." _A woman's robotic, simulated voice echoed throughout the enclosed operating room. _"Automatic hydraulic systems for sector four have been engaged. 'Big ass lightening rod' will be fully functional in T-minus ninety seconds."_

I couldn't help but let out a quiet snort as the lab-coats in the room gave their own unsatisfactory responses towards the emotionless A.I. program. The utterly ridiculous statement caused one particular lab coat's shoulders to shake with laughter under a clamped hand as he tried to quiet himself. The very same lab coat that the other tech heads could only scoff or glare at silently. Anything more would be a blatant break from their uptight and superiorly professional demeanors. I smirked. Like he cared. There was absolutely no way the organization could fire him. Especially since nobody else could even come close to doing his job as well as he did. Ruben, the chief computer nerd, or as his company labeled him, the Head Programming Specialist, tried his hardest to straighten up at his terminal screen and retain what small amount of professionalism the guy possessed. Which in all honesty, wasn't that much. But then again, that was probably why we got along so well. Watching him however, was starting to make me grow my own cheeky grin and I had to turn away slightly from the rest of the staff. After all, as head of security, I was supposed to be the most composed person in the room.

"All units, check-in" I spoke softly into the walkie clipped on the front pocket of my standard, military grade combat vest.

"Hallways are clear." A strong feminine voice crackled back. "Nothing new to report."

"Sub-sector one is vacant of activity." A younger voice responded. "Everyone's pretty much with you. Resuming patrol."

"Sub-sector two is bloody well fine." A more than agitated middle-aged man replied gruffly. "Now, would you quit 'checking in' every ten minutes. We'll let you know if something comes up!"

"Ignore him." A fourth, slightly congested agent cued in. "All security monitors are still fully functional and the feeds are coming uninterrupted. Sub-sector three is clear and the, ahem, 'lightning rod' is nearly fully expanded."

"Thank you Greg, Rebecca, and CJ" I said, pausing for a second before pressing the input button on my walkie one last time. "And Ted too, I guess."

"Why you little-" Ted started raving, but I'd already reached for the volume control and turned it down to a negligible level before it attracted too much unnecessary attention. I allowed myself a small grin. Here I was, criticizing Ruben on his lack of professionalism just a few moments ago and yet, I also had a knack for purposely provoking some of my coworkers. Another reason Ruben and I got along. In my defense, however, Ted was a real pain in my ass. He was never too keen on the idea that I had been put in charge monitoring such an important project such as this. Especially since I was just, in the absolute tamest words that had ever left Ted's mouth, 'some punk kid'. He wasn't the only one who had concerns though. The other head supervisors, not just those on the security team, more than questioned my ability from the moment I arrived here. To an extent, they still did. But even after proving myself more than capable of handling highly critical dangerous situations, Ted was still the only one on my team who was constantly looking for ways to complain about my performance. So, I figure since Ted was always so intent on giving me a hard time in every aspect of my job, a little payback every now and then didn't feel unwarranted. That and it was fun to fuck with him. Way to easy too. Heh.

I turned my focus back to control room. It felt strange having so little to watch out for. One door acted as the sole means for entrance and exit and I was stationed by it. A breach was unlikely from the outside, since the sectors, halls, and every single room in them was monitored by state of the art surveillance technology. Not only that, but the doors to each of the sectors were designed to handle just about any kind of explosive, with many layers of rock, thick titanium laced steel, and both manual and electronic locks. About two hundred trained and combat ready guards were on duty in the expansive underground facility, their ranks split into about ten different security teams. I was the leader of team Echo.

But, even with all the exterior protection, there was always the potential of an interior threat. Though, in this section of the facility, it seemed highly unlikely.

The control room of Research Sector C was packed pull of monitors and computers more than anything else. Potential weapons were limited down to the coffee cups and pens that the computer nerds and scientists around the room carried on their persons. While I was certainly prepared and open to the possibility for one of them to suddenly snap or turn and start stuffing post it-it-notes down his fellow colleague's throat, I labeled the threat as relatively minor. The only exercise most of these guys had was in the form of punching in characters on a keyboard. The only other person of interest in the room was Director Patrick D. Thomas, who was sitting in on this little test run of theirs. He was talking with Ruben, harshly ridiculing him for his choice of directives given to the A.I, but we both knew it mostly an act. Director Thomas, while hard working and serious when the time called for it, wasn't exactly the most aggressive or strict otherwise. Most would think that this would play against him with his work, but his kind demeanor and leniency towards the rules so long as it didn't disturb a high ranking company policy or hinder the project at all, earned him the respect of everyone that worked under him. But of course, he had to at least attempt to keep up appearances while the big wigs were watching. He could certainly put on a serious front.

Incidentally, Director Thomas was actually the main reason I got the position I was in now, despite my obvious age difference. Our meeting…hadn't been one of the usual sense. Then again, if it had been, I doubted Thomas would have taken such an interest in my special talents.

I could still remember it clearly. It was a day in late September. I had just got back from teaching the advanced class at my local dojo. I wasn't really tired at the time or sweaty, but I was really, _really_ thirsty. Teaching martial arts is very different from practicing them. For starters, you don't do near as much work or training. Instead, you're there to pretty much show the various forms and combinations that your school teaches, then watch closely and check for errors in the student's technique and posture. Despite some of them being little troublemakers, I dif enjoy teaching those who are willing to learn. Kids, anywhere from elementary to middle school are always more than eager to learn and that's what makes it worth the effort. On the flip side though, that same eagerness leads to a lot of inefficient and sometimes sloppy form when it comes to performing punches and kicks. I couldn't count how many times I had to instruct many of them to slow down. Speed would come with time, it was best not to rush your attacks. While they didn't always tend to follow this advice, they at least attempted it for a bit first. I wasn't overly concerned though. They were young. When they grew older, like the adults, they would come to understand the importance of my words. Wouldn't trade them for anyone else either.

Not surprisingly, the one demographic that gave me the most trouble were the teenagers. Every time I was assigned to teach the intermediate age classes, I'd always get at least two upper belts in the group that thought they knew better. I'd hear it all. I was just the same as them. I didn't know what I was talking about. Anything to justify their lack of skill or discipline. Anything to justify that I wasn't better than them. And truly, I wasn't. Speaking metaphorically. But I did have more training, more drive, more patience, and stubborn as all hell. That made me more qualified and I did not hesitate to show it in the many sparring matches and attribute demonstrations that were spaced out in our course curriculum. Some were able to accept it easily and move on with their ambitions. Others fought tooth and nail to best me every single day in anything they could. Whichever path they chose though, it guided them to my overall goal. Getting them to be better fighters. Bastards didn't make it easy, but in a way, I enjoyed that as well.

Back to the matter at hand, I had acquired a very unsettling dryness in the back of my throat due in large part to the fact that my overeager kid students hadn't let me take a smidgeon of a break during the last hour and a half. And then staying late to clean up and close up hadn't helped matters. So, I decided to take a detour on the way home and stop by the local convenience store for some tea. Even though it wouldn't be anything like the herbal mixtures I kept at home, sometimes even I still enjoyed the overly-sugarized and partially artificial tastes of company brand tea. I remembered looking at the clock on the dash as I pulled into the freshly painted and smooth parking lot of a brand new 7-11. It had been around half past ten at the time. Something else I noticed as I threw the stick shift into park, was that the location and position of the gas station was horrible. Tactically, anyway. The nearest police station was twenty minutes away, fifteen if you really pushed it. More than enough time for criminals to be in and out. And in a rotten part of the neighborhood like this, it was a wonder the store hadn't been robbed before I arrived.

The location could only be the pitiful product of the chain's hunger for profit and low cost of the lot in which the station sat. Hardly smart, but then, perhaps my decision not to find another was just as bad.

I tugged on the metal handle of the glass frame door, the sharp chime of a bell announcing my entrance. The attendant gave me a quick glance and brief friendly greeting before going back to stocking the back wall with cigarettes. At least the staff was pleasant. I wandered past the packed shelves of the slightly overpriced snacks, catching my reflection walking by in a single, flattened, circular mirror above the soda machine. It was located near my destination, the coolers, carving out a straight path from the entrance and the right corner of the room and back to it. I made note of it and moved on.

Upon reaching the back of the store, I noticed one of the cooler doors was already opened and another person was crouched, perusing through the bottom rack of gallon milk cartons. Despite his form being half covered by the fogged translucent glass, he wasn't someone I expected to see. Not necessarily because I knew him, but rather, because of his appearance. A well kept charcoal suit jacket hung around tight shoulders, a wrinkled white dress shirt and loosened tie poking out from around the gray edges, charcoal pants to match, and black dress shoes. Even stranger, they didn't look cheap. The shoes were Oxfords. No doubt the rest of his outfit was worth just as much as those shoes. It had been strange to see someone with money shopping here for milk, but then, I suppose even the wealthy had to make quick, unexpected grocery pickups just like the rest of us.

I finally saw him pull out a gallon jug with a red top. _Hmm, whole milk huh? Good choice._

I was just about to search for my own drink selection, when I heard the bell at the front of the store let out another high pitched ding. My eyes immediately snapped towards the mirror. Three men entered the store. One was white and bald, dressed in a battered old white tank top and jeans. The second one was black, dreads hanging loosely down his back, wearing a dark black jacket that looked way too warm for the weather. And the last one was white too, a thick scar carved across his cheek, dressed in much the same as the black man. Something in the back of my mind told me that they weren't here for the candy and I reached out to put a hand on the suited guy's shoulder to stop him from getting up.

The guy stopped and looked at me quizzically. Quick on my feet, I pointed towards the black date on the jug. "I'm not sure you want that one." I said, tone low so as not be overheard by the new customers. "The expiration on that is a little too soon, don't you think?" I asked with a smile, trying to appear as friendly as possible. The suited man still appeared confused at my actions, but a look down at the jug he was holding brought forth a moment of clarity. It expired next week instead of the week after, the optimal time you wanted on your dairy products.

He opened his mouth to say something, but was abruptly cut off by the harsh clip of a gun at the front counter. "Alright lady, cash in the bag! Now!." This was soon re-enforced by one other click and the screech of something metal being unsheathed. Looking back up at the mirror, I could spot that the guys were armed with two semi-automatic pistols, the one on the far left with a machete. _How in the world did he manage to sneak that in?_

The leader, the one with the scar, directed the gun at the frightened lady's head and thrust a plastic bag in her face. "Alright bitch, hands up! Open the register! Come on! Move it!" He barked.

I watched as the lady hastily opened the drawer and started throwing bills in, all the while the leader was pressuring her be faster. The other two, seeing that the situation was handled, started pilfering whatever snack item they were craving. I broke my watchful gaze, my mind running through all the available information I'd collected when I walked in. There wouldn't be much time before the girl was finished and the wannabee gangsters thieves would be on their way. I don't know if you could tell, but I had a severe distaste for crime. Plus, I needed some of those bills. I sure as hell wasn't about to hand over a ten for a dollar tea without getting any change.

Plan already in place, I reached over and snatched the milk jug from my business acquaintance. Twisting the cap about halfway off. I watched the mirror and waited until the leader was rejoined by his two compatriots, then, lobbed the jug over my head and out towards the front counter. The sudden splash and surprised cries covered my rush from one end of the shelving units to the other, sticking low and looping around the back to the one ahead of it. I kept my eyes glued on the single ceiling mirror, monitoring the movements of my targets. Apparently, I'd managed to splash the black guy's new shoes and pants, from the way he was raving about it. He started advancing towards the coolers, shouting all sort of obscenities and threats of what he was going to do once he caught me. Heh, like he was the man in charge of the situation.

He passed the third shelf, the fourth, man this guy was stupid. He wasn't checking down any of the shelving units he passed, only interested in the one where the milk had come from. And to top it off, he didn't pay the slightest attention to the mirror by the soda machine. So when I jumped out, maneuvering my left hand behind his forearm and the right over the barrel of his gun before he even had time to blink, he had no time to offer any sort of resistance. Pushing both in their separate directions, there was a small _snap_ as his finger was violently bent at an unnatural angle. The black man let out a cry of pain, but it didn't stop there. I quickly wrapped my free arm around his neck and brought him into a headlock while my other hand spun the gun around, my pointer finger sliding into the trigger. I threw it over the guy's left shoulder and fired once, the bullet sinking into the leader's left kneecap. It was now his turn to shout out as he fell to the ground clutching his knee, dropping his gun on reflex. The machete man, now starting to react to what had just transpired, turned tail to run, but slipped on the white liquid that was still spewing from the milk jug. Before he could get up, I pushed the black guy away and delivered a fast snap kick to his spine, sending him flying forward before collapsing on top of his colored companion. As a last act, I raced over to where Scarface had dropped his pistol, kicking it behind me and firing off a shot at the tile by the machete man's face, who was struggling against the heavy wait on his back. He froze after that.

In less than a minute, the confrontation was over.

"You bastard! You shot me! Agh! Fuck! I'll kill you, you fucking bastard!" Scarface shouted violently, clutching his bleeding appendage.

"Well, you shouldn't have robbed the store, now should you?" I replied blandly, taking out my phone and palming 9-1-1, gun still trained on the three of them. "Hello? Yeah, I'm here to report an attempted robbery. Three armed assailants at the 7-11 on Brooker street. They've all been successfully detained. And yeah, send an ambulance for two of them. Thank you." I said to the operator as soon as she got on the line, before hanging up the phone pointedly and turning to the still shocked and frightened store attendant. "It's alright miss, they can't hurt you." I said, making my tone light to try and ease her nerves. "But, listen, I've been working nonstop for almost four hours with no break. I've been dying for a drink." I nodded over to the coolers in the back. "Could you grab me a tea?" I asked with a small sigh. "Please."

Whether it was because she was grateful for me taking out the goons or because I was still the only one left in possession of a firearm, she went and fulfilled my request. I reached for my wallet, pulling it out, but she shook her head vehemently. "P-Please, j-just take it." She said, voice still quivering, but more from the excitement than the fear.

I chuckled, giving her a small grin before flipping the gun around and offering her the stock end. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Here, take this and watch over these three. The police should be here in about ten to fifteen or so. " I said. When she didn't take it from me, I simply set it down on the counter. "Great. Thanks." This wasn't really a request, more as it was a polite order. Like those parents give their children.

The guys below me started to move again, seeing I wasn't in possession of the weapon anymore, but halted once the now overzealous store clerk snatched it up and pointed it at them shakily. I had to hold back a laugh. She looked a lot like a caged animal, a bunch of unsettling emotions put on show for everyone in the room. That's probably why the decommissioned robbers on the ground stopped moving. They didn't want to be the ones to set her off. Criminals, after all, were mostly just desperate cowards at heart.

I popped the aluminum tab on my tea can and proceeded to take a long chug, followed by a satisfactory sigh as the cool liquid slid comfortingly down. Ah, much better. Yep, just as sugary as I remembered, though it seemed that they cut down a little. Thirst parched, I turned and walked to the store's front glass pane doors.

"Wait! Where are you going?" The store clerk nearly shouted.

I turned my head to her, flashing her with my best smile. "Well miss, the situation's handled. There's no need for me to be any more involved and I don't really like the attention." I said, waving a hand behind me dismissively. "Just say some stranger came in to help out." I said. "And if I were you, I'd keep your focus on them." I pointed, as the machete guy had started to move again. She refocused her attention instantly and I pushed on the door handle labeled 'Exit', about to be on my merry way.

"Wait!" A different voice beckoned. I sighed, but complied. "What is your name?" He asked, much to my surprise. I had expected someone like Mr. Business to tell me how irresponsible it was to leave the scene of the crime instead of exchange pleasantries. Interesting.

"Just a good Samaritan sir. Have a nice night." I responded, walking out and leaving the protesting man back in the store.

Of course, little did I know that this same man was the Director for some top secret, hush-hush, government facility who was just happening to put together another security crew. I don't know the details, but he managed to find me again, popping in at the dojo and requesting to speak with me while I was directing a class. At first, my sensei didn't want my class to be interrupted, but a quick flash of a badge changed all that.

Long story short, we talked and he offered me the job I now held, provided I could pass a few tests for him. Some were written, some involved testing my fighting skill, but most were simulations of security breaches for different situations. As you might've guessed, I passed them all. Even when some of the people on my supposed "side" in the simulations decided not to follow some of my plans/orders and made it much more difficult than it should've been. But then, I suppose that was something I had to be prepared for as well.

Much like with Ted.

"Everything in order Axel?" Patrick asked, snapping me away from my trip down memory lane, clipboard in hand. Funny enough, he was wearing close to the exact same attire from the store raid. Except his suit was black now.

"All units are currently patrolling the sectors. Nothing out of order sir. Though it does seem Ted's throwing another, ahem, fit. But that's nothing new." I responded, turning the volume back up on my walkie. Thankfully Ted had finished whatever rant he'd been spouting off on.

The director shook his head. "You shouldn't push him so much, you know. It makes it harder for me to vouch for you when he complains about you every day."

"Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. I will refrain from doing so." I said, trying to fight back against a betraying smirk that was urging to make itself present across my lips. Both of us knew though that I probably wouldn't and Ted would most likely complain either way.

"I suppose that's the best I'm going to get from you." He said with a tired sigh. "I just hope this test run goes smoothly. The entire budget for the next term relies on this."

"I hope so too sir." I agreed.

Through the thick glass window of the control room, we could see the result of the team's latest scientific achievement. Two giant circles of metal, interwoven with all sorts of electrical wiring, glowing lights, and circuitry that was far beyond my comprehension, stood grandly on the floor below. Off to either side, the latest power storage units hummed lightly with the incredible energy harnessed from the thunder storm.

I was no scientist, but they did manage to explain the machine down to a basic level for me. Or rather, Ruben did. Everyone else was just too _busy_ to explain it to a non-intellectual human. The machine below was some kind of new prototype transporter, something that could take an entire cargo hold of supplies and move them across the world in a matter of seconds. The two metal rings were called gates and when they were switched on, they produced some sort of energy field that connected them. The items went through one end and came out the other. Pretty simple concept. Not so simple execution.

It was powered by another one of their inventions, the long sought after Telsa Rod. That's right, we'd finally figured out how to harness power from lightning. Again, I don't know all the details, but somehow, when lightning strikes the tip, it spreads out over the dome, where its spread out and stepped down by transformers and other electrical modifiers until it can be used for energy here. Since it produces such a great amount of power in such a short time, it was only used every couple months to power this facility. But now that we had a power hungry machine, it could finally be used for a bigger purpose.

"Power storage cells fully charged." One of the lab coats called out from behind his computer. "Initiate startup."

"_Initiating startup." _ A.N.G.I. echoed.

Down below, the storage containers began to hum loudly, their bulky forms illuminated by the standard lights in the area. Fiberglass transfer wires started accepting energy, shining a brilliant sapphire blue, directing a path straight to both of the gates. Small bolts of electricity sparked around the edges and another sound pierced through the thick glass. The whine from the machinery started out low, slowly growing in intensity until it was almost deafening. Then, a bright light suddenly flashed across my vision, forcing my hand to rise towards my eyes, rubbing them as white spots dotted behind my eyelids. When I opened them again, I was…speechless.

The hallowed out space in between the gates was now filled. A murky, semi-transparent and wavy field was now pulsing lightly, like a sort of faint heartbeat. Both me and Director Thomas marveled at the sight.

"It worked…" He muttered softly. "Good god, we've done it…!"

I clasped a hand on his shoulder. "I knew you all would sir." I said with a smile. "But maybe sending something through it for the cameras would cement your project in stone huh?"

He snapped himself out of his stupor and cleared his throat. "Yes, of course. Send in the drone."

"Way ahead of you boss!" Ruben exclaimed, swiping his remote control from his desk and hurrying over to the glass window. I heard Patrick sighed again next to me and mutter something about how they needed to at least appear professional while the higher-ups were watching. I smirked. Like anyone could every get Ruben to act professional. He was much like me, in the fact that he too was gifted in his own field, mainly computer programming and robotics. He was actually the main man behind A.N.G.I.'s creation and had certainly earned his right to be here, just like the rest of us. However, his personality went about as unchecked as mine probably would've been if my role hadn't been for security work. Needless to say, we got along pretty well.

From the back of the room, I watched as Ruben expertly piloted his own custom made black drone took to the skies in the lower room. When I say custom built, I don't just mean that he built himself and made it a much better, faster drone. He did that, but there was so much more to it. At least, I've never seen a drone with a fully functional machine gun, bomb attachments, and a fully integrated camera with geographical scanning and mapmaking technology that would put the military's to shame. I don't think anyone else has either.

Ruben expertly piloted the black aircraft over to a small metallic crate that had been chosen for the test run, hovering over it before activating another one of his drone's cool features. The super magnet. Suddenly, the box jumped up of its own accord and latched itself to the drone's underside, the strong magnetic fields maintaining a tight hold on the precious cargo. Ruben looked back at the two of us and smiled, before edging his drone closer to the first gate's energy field.

We all held our breaths. If that drone went in and appeared out on the other side of the gate, man will have achieved its greatest accomplishment yet. Teleportation.

"A-Axxxel!" My walkie buzzed and crackled by my side.

I had that walkie in my hand almost before his broken call had even concluded. "Greg! What's wrong?"

The walkie picked up so much static when I let go of the button that I barely made out his response. "S-s-someone tammmperred…with…T-tt-elsa…Abbo-rt. N-now!"

My eyes went wide and I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Shut it off! Shut it down Angi! N-"

Another, much more powerful and bright flash shot through the room, effectively blinding everyone once again. Several loud _pops_ of electrical breakers and safety components tripped off, taking out the lights and computers in the room. Between the white film over my eyes left from the flash and the sudden dark contrast, I almost didn't make out the blue glow that still shone from down. Accompanied by the highest pitch of screeching electrical circuitry I've ever heard. It was the alarm system.

My protective instincts kicked in and I slammed my fist on the emergency lever by the door, thrusting it down. The door behind us hissed open and I was already shouting at everyone to get out. The scientists in the back had regained enough sight to make their way towards the exit, but ones closest to the flash were still stumbling about, trying to find their way amongst the chaos. I rushed to the front.

"Angi! Give me a status report!" I shouted to the A.I. system.

"_Control room power systems have been overloaded and shut down. Second gate has been deactivated. First gate…malfunction, cannot terminate function." _She said. _"Energy field growing. Danger level is at Alpha. Evacuation of sector is in progress."_

Shit! That was _not_ what I wanted to hear. And a look back at the teleporter did nothing to alleviate my fears. It worsened them

Inside the room, the first gate's energy field was out of control. Its original light blue glow had turned much darker, the particle waves inside it now swirling inwards like some kind of atomic whirlpool. Sparks and bolts of electricity, way larger than what was considered safe, shot off from all corners of the machine. But that wasn't what made me worried. The fact that that same energy field was sucking in anything that wasn't bolted down did. I watched in awe as crates, tables, papers, TV monitors, almost everything except for the power storage units was shot into that blue void.

Then, the glass started to crack.

"Move!" I yelled, trying to get my voice above the sound of the machine's fury. I didn't care about being gentle now. I was practically throwing scientists to the door left and right, Director Thomas grabbing them in turn and getting them on the other side of the door. Soon, most of them had regained their sight and didn't need my help, but some of the elders were still going much to slow. I started escorting them one by one as fast as I could, picking some of them up in some cases. As soon as I got the last one to the exit, Director Thomas shouted something and pointed to the back.

Ruben was getting up behind a row of computer monitors, looking around crazily and confused. I shouted for him to hurry and beckoned for him by the door. His head moved towards the sound of my voice, but he stumbled forward with his hands out, seemingly unsure of which direction to go. The small crack on the glass from before had now splintered out into a spider web, only fueling my cries for Ruben to get the hell back here. Then it hit me. Ruben was the closest one to the blast of light…he was blind. I raced to the front once again, ignoring the protests of the Director and grabbed Ruben's arm, yanking him back in the direction of the door.

_Boom!_

The glass behind us shattered, shards clinging and breaking as they were sucked into the hungry portal behind us. I had barely managed to secure my hand on one of the desks in time as computer monitors, keyboards, and all manner of office supplies flew past us at breakneck speeds, forcing me and Ruben to duck down to avoid being hit. The pull from the portal felt like a miniature tornado twirling behind us, getting closer and gaining power with each passing second. The strain on my arm to hold on was intense, but the adrenaline that was now coursing through my veins beat back against the pain. We needed to reach that door!

I pulled on the desk in front of me, fighting against the growing tension in my arm, taking a step against the attraction of the behemoth from behind. We were already halfway through, which gave my body hope as I took another step. Then another. Through grunts and growls, I pushed myself harder than any training exercise I ever attempted, making it past desk after desk, the door drawing ever so close. But, the portal wasn't giving up. My ears caught the sound of wood splintering and I dared a look back to see the closest desk get ripped apart from its nails and bolts careening violently into the blue field. The second soon followed. My venture had now turned into a time attack event, panic running through my veins as I took more risks. I pulled myself up harder, I jumped from desk to desk, anything to gain so much as a second more on the portal's progress.

By the time I reached the closest desk to the door and pinned myself against it, there were only four more rows separating us. I grasped Ruben's arm with both hands and tugged against the gale force winds, my progress passing by in slow motion while the fourth row was obliterated. As soon as I got him up with me, I positioned him in front of me and pushed, shouting for him to take the Director's hand. The third row gave up and banged around noisily before being sucked in. Patrick finally got a hold of Ruben's hand and pulled him to safety with the help of the other scientists. He then turned back for me, outstretching his hand as much as possible.

Planting a foot on the lip of the desk, I stretched out my leg and reached out with all my might, but was still a good three inches shy of his hand. The second row fell away, much too close for comfort. I had to make a decision fast, as I already felt the desk my foot was against wobble a little. I quickly placed both feet on the lip and put my full weight against the bench for a brief second, the desk bending under the combined strain of me and the portal. I leapt off just as the nails gave out, desperately lunging for the Director's hand.

Our fingertips merely brushed and we barely had time to exchange looks of equal shock and horror before I was ripped away from them and my world was tossed into a series of shocks and blue swirls.


	2. Chapter 2

Ever wonder what it feels like to wake up after a night of partying after having drunk an entire carton of beers, three fireballs, two shots of whiskey, and one cup of Blakna 176 vodka feels like? Nothing, cause that crap would kill you. But from the intense migraine that was repeatedly slamming its heel into the side of my head, my stomach convulsing even after I'd already thrown every possible thing up, and my muscles so tense that they were practically one step away from turning my body into one huge charlie horse, yeah, death sounded fucking merciful at the moment.

For all you alcoholics out there who really want to quit drinking, throw yourselves into a malfunctioning teleporter. It's a one step process. Your welcome.

Dammit, I couldn't even open my eyes. When I had the incredibly stupid idea to do so, the light was so bright that it felt like the sun was going to bore a hole straight through my retinas and out the other end of my skull. Least it would kill the migraine. Fuck, I was in such a mixture of pain and sickness, that best thing I could do was curl myself into a tiny ball and cringe as the waves rushed past. Pathetic. Worst part was that I knew exactly how long I was suffering. Each pounding throb against my head acted like a stopwatch, periodically ticking off the seconds of pure unadulterated torture I was continually forced to endure.

Slowly, God, ever so slowly, the thumping in my head started to lessen. This must have acted as some sort of trigger because the other symptoms gradually decreased along with it. After nearly ten minutes of eternity, I felt fine enough to move my left pinkie. Now released from the duty of consistently recognizing pain, my senses started taking in the world around me. The ground felt soft beneath me, the soil loose and spongy. I took in my first natural breath and almost coughed. The air. What the hell was up with it? It felt so…fresh. Clean was probably the best word. I took a deep breathe and I swore I even tasted a light hint of mint, leaving a lingering aftertaste after each breathe that almost invited your lungs to take in more. It was nothing like the filtered air systems we had in the underground base and those were state of the art.

Cautiously, I let one eye peek out from behind its shelter. The light came back again, just as bright as before, but thankfully no pain came this time and I was finally able to observe my new environment.

I was thoroughly blown away.

I was in some type of meadow-like oasis amongst a surrounding ocean of trees and shrubbery. Patches of white-petal flowers were swaying with the passing midday breeze, creating a small wave-like effect as their shadows shifted back and forth. I was lying next to a small rock formation made from two miniature boulders that were pressed firmly against a more adult version of themselves, the smooth stone reaching up to my stomach. It gave off the slight impression of a parent keeping watch over their children and the white flowers that poked out from the cracks in between the little ones only reinforced this notion. Finally, a crystal clear pond stretched out in front of me, the surface so still it looked like a glass reflection of the sky.

The incredible picturesque scenery wasn't what took me aback, however.

The grass was so…green. To the point where it actually appeared to give off a slight glow in the sunlight. An almost emerald-like aura seemed to just hang out around right on the outskirts of the blade. But it didn't stop there. The trees, flowers, rocks, everything around me gave off its own distinct glow, usually corresponding with its most dominant color. I rubbed my eyes. I couldn't be seeing this shit, right? Ah, it actually stung to look at it too long. The extra depth must have been pushing my perceptional boundries far past anything I'd witnessed before. Good freaking gosh, it's like everything had its own glare!

I blinked heavily and thankfully, after a few minutes, my brain seemed to have made the adjustment to accept this new change. At least, enough to stop my eyes from watering. However, there was still a slight irritation that nagged behind my retinas. This really better not become a permanent effect.

I decided I should probably try and get up. Planting a steady hand down in the plush grass, the soil gave slightly under my hand, like a wet sponge, leaving a tiny indentation in the soil. I pushed down a little harder, curious to see just how low my hand would sink. It quickly hit much more densely packed dirt. Not much further then. Good. If every step I took made my feet sink a couple inches, walking would be a real pain in the ass. Something I really didn't need right now.

My muscles still weren't relaxed, making my limbs feel just as stiff as the trees around me. I settled for a sitting position first, locking my arms and putting them behind me, using them as support. I started shaking my limbs, hoping to rid myself of both the tenseness and numbness from being stationary for too long, staring up at the sky. The new, purple-tinted blue sky.

I let out a long, heavy sigh. If it wasn't already obvious, that was the last shred of evidence. There was no way I was still on the planet Earth. I'd already come to that conclusion. Still, that didn't make things any easier to deal with or logically explain. From what I could remember through the fragmented memories that swirled in my head, the teleporter machine malfunctioned somehow and I got sucked in. The main purpose of the machine was to break down an object's molecules and send transfer them to the secondary gate, them reform them back to their original state. But, that gate had shorted out in the ensuing chaos. For intents and purposes, I shouldn't have gone anywhere. Hell, I should have been dead. Yet, I wasn't. Well, unless this alien world was heaven.

Hah. I severely doubted it.

In any case, it didn't matter. There was no point in just sitting around. I rose, this time much more confidently, onto my feet. Looking up at this planet's sun, assuming that the laws of space and gravitational pull still applied in the same way as Earth, then that way should be east, west, then north and south. Since there wasn't exactly a recognizable landmark, I chose north. There had to be natives around here somewhere. Hopefully, anyway. Although even if I found another sentient species on this world, what could I do? The odds that we would both share the same language or dialect had to be pretty close to zip.

I pushed the thought out of my mind. Focusing on how bad things looked wouldn't help. Least there was one plus to all this. As I stated before, the air was much richer here and the strange aftertaste it left was starting to grow on me. There was also a comforting cool breeze drifting through the forest, making the trees and foliage sway, consequently creating a waving dance of colors for my eyes to absorb. I was never really one much for doting over the beauty of nature and all that. But I had to admit, it was an astonishing sight.

As I continued walking the northward path, I noticed something else very peculiar. The sun had hardly moved from its position in the strangely tinted sky. Maybe a few inches or so, from my perspective, but not near far enough for the amount of time I spent walking and from waking up. That was odd. Reaching over, I flipped up a pocket in my tactical vest and took a look at the silver pocket watch within. I remembered checking the time before I started my little venture. It had been 12:37pm when I started. It was now close to two. The two time frames didn't add up with Earth's rotation cycle, which meant two things. On the bright side, the days were longer. Shit side, so were the nights. The fact that I didn't have any night vision goggles or any tools to aid me meant if I didn't find shelter by nightfall, I would be snack food for whatever predators roamed the forest at night. Not something I was looking forward to.

Just as I was about to consider what kind of temporary shelter I might have to construct, A loud cry ring out past the trees and my head snapped in its direction. No way. It sounded human!

I surged forward towards where I'd heard the yell, hand already grasped around the Desert Eagle at my waist. I pulled it free from its holster, thumbing the safety over to red. Whoever it was didn't cry out again, but the sounds of rustling and the panting rasps and grunts of something that was undecidedly _not_ human spurred me on towards their location. Right beyond that tree line. It had to be! I put on an extra burst of speed and jumped out from in between two thick trunks, barely passing by without scratching myself.

There was no type of training that could have prepared me for what I'd come across.

Straight ahead, a giant mass of untamed, orange tinted fur, stood on four legs and growled ferociously. It had the build of a boar, but the size of a bear. Curved, sharp tipped bone poked out from the sides of the creature's head and its tail flailed wildly behind it. Blood spotted the forest floor and the surrounding foliage looked like it had been crushed underfoot. Something had provoked it and it was retaliating with a vengeance.

Sensing a new threat, its pointed ears twitched and it spun around to face me. Now that I had a good look at its face, I almost wished I hadn't been so hasty to engage. Its eyes were small and beady, but that was the only good thing. The lower lip of the beast was curled up over its upper one, showcases the sides of its teeth in a menacing snarl. Several rows upon rows of jagged, pointed teeth. It snorted at me, scowling and scraped at the dirt below with long, razor-edged claws. Its eyes looked over me with uncertainty, unsure of how to label me. It settled for growling lowly at me, issuing a warning, forbidding me from coming any closer.

Yeah. Screw that.

_Crack!_ The thunderous boom of the Deagle resonated out among the trees, drowning out all and any other forest ambience. In a light flash of yellow and orange, my bullet ripped through the air and bore itself right through the animal's skull, a small concentrated burst of blood erupting from the hole. The amount of milliseconds it took to travel the short distance between us gave no freedom for the beast to shout or cry out. Instead, it collapsed silently over on its side and laid still. I remained poised to shoot, the last of the smoke from the barrel dissipating fast, confirming that it was truly dead before lowering my weapon and letting out a quiet, relieved breathe. Geez, what the hell was that thing? If those were the kind of monsters I was going to have to worry about at night, then fuck me.

The muffled clink of metal on wood drew my attention back to what the beast had been stalking and I turned my head towards the tree. Once again, a wave of shock and awe washed over me. No, a wave was putting it too lightly. It was more like a raging tsunami. My brain's sense of reason and knowledge about the evolutional scale of humans and animals was completely turned on its head the minute I finally processed just whom I had saved. Or, more accurately, what I had saved.

_Is that a fucking furry?!_

Sure enough, kneeling at the base of an overgrown tree, was a fox. No, no not a fox. Damn it, what were the lady ones called again? Vixens! Yeah, that. The curves on the upper part of her body sure confirmed her gender pretty darn easily. Her fur was predominantly a midnight shade of blue, though there seemed to be strange symbols and patterns painted across her chest and cheeks in a slightly grayish shade of white. She was wearing what looked like tribal style clothing, a brown top piece covering her breasts, along with a low cut skirt of the same color. They appeared to be from the hide of some other animal, which was something else I really didn't want to think about.

Another thing that added to her almost human-like appearance, was the fur on top of her head, which was a shade darker and draped down the sides of her face like hair. It was even held down with some sort of hair band that looked like it was formed from some kind of smooth black stone that covered the entire top of her head and disappeared underneath her bangs. One other accessory hung loosely around her neck. A thick line of cord with a single sharp tooth tied around the top, embedded with some kind of red gemstone. Good gosh, she was like every furry teenage fan boy's dream.

It wasn't until I noticed the sizable gash across her side that I was finally snapped out of my stupor.

_Shit, that looks rough. It definitely needs some treatment. _Throwing caution to the wind, I began advancing towards the tree, quickly closing the distance between us. Big mistake. The vixen let out a pained grunt, one paw clutching her side wound, while the other thrusted a dangerous looking staff in my direction. The spearhead tip on the end glowed for just a moment and I barely had time to open my mouth before I felt the blazing impact of a concentrated fireball slam against my chest.

"Aughff!" I exclaimed, my back smacking the soil with an audible _slap_! My neck and part of my face felt hot from the spread of the flames before they dissipated, but thankfully they weren't hot enough to burn. Thank god for the white coats that manufactured our gear. Never thought their paranoid antics about adding fire resistant patchwork would come in handy. I don't think any of the lab coats anticipated one of their security guys taking a full blown fireball to the chest, but it held. There was blatant charred spot the size of a basketball, but it held.

The vixen seemed shocked when I started to rise to my feet again. It vanished quickly though and she positioned her staff towards me again.

"Hey, wait!" I shouted, throwing up my hands in what should have been a universal sign of surrender, but another fireball burst out and knocked me to the ground again. "Hmmghf" I grunted, this time readying myself for the fall. _Listen lady, I'm trying to help you! _I thought, releasing an annoyed and disgruntled breathe. Why the hell was she being so hostile in the first place? I mean, I did just save her life! Took down the rabid nightmare fueled version of Yogi and Tony the Tiger over there. It wasn't like I was trying to be…my gaze shifted the gun that was still tightly clutched in my right hand. The very same gun she had seen take down a massive creature in less than a second.

Right.

Getting up much slower this time, I raised a hand up and palmed the gun in my other hand. She watched me carefully as I slowly set it down on the ground, staff still trained on me. I got to my feet a third time, hands still raised to show I had nothing else on me that could harm her. She started to relax a little, her staff lowering, but bolted it right back into place.

"Kxo ekxoh edo kee!" She shouted at me, thrusting the spear to the right of my waist, cringing slightly at the pain this caused her side.

I looked down and saw that she'd caught sight of my other gun I kept on my left. "Alright, I got it. I'm moving it. Don't fire another one at me. Please." I said, though clearly there was a language barrier. I was hoping that the soft tone was come through as non-threatening. Again, being careful to control my movements, I grasped the hilt of my second Deagle. Gently, I lifted it out, bent down, and placed it beside the other one. I turned around slowly, hands back to their surrendered position, just to show her there were no more.

Cautiously, she lowered her staff for the second time, but still kept it by her side. That was probably the best I was going to get. I moved in closer. She kept her eyes trained on me the entire time. Like, well, like an animal. I kept eye contact, more so that I could catch sight if she went for that staff again. No way I was getting blasted again. Had to say though, her eyes were different. Maybe a little larger than mine. And maybe it was just the angle of the sun and her positioning, but I swear it looked like they sparkled. Emerald green. Hmm. Not a bad color for her.

I knelt down in front of her and pointed to the wound on her side. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?" I asked, again, hoping my tone would convey what I meant to say.

She paused for a moment, glancing at the wound, then back at me. "Ak'j vado. Ak ajd'k kee toof. A'cc calo" She stated, breathing out a pained sigh.

Okay, this language barrier crap was getting really annoying, but at least from way she made it sound, it didn't seem life-threatening. That was one positive at least. Still, that wound needed to be cleansed or it could run the risk of becoming infected. I think she knew that, but from the looks of it, she didn't have anything remotely related to first aid on her. Good thing I always kept these supplied handy.

My hand went for one of my vest pockets, but I must have made the movement too fast for the vixen's liking. I soon felt the spear tipped end of her staff at the edge of my throat. My insides shivered at the thought of death being not but two inches away. She was quick. "Hey, its okay, its okay." I managed to get out, swallowing and keeping my tone light and unthreatening. Last thing I wanted to do now was make her jump. I continued to pop open the clip of my singed pouch, her eyes once again trained on me the entire time. When I pulled out the gauze from inside, she lowered her guard, but only just. Enough to remove the spear from my throat.

I set the gauze down on the grass and gestured that I was going to open another pouch. She didn't freak out on me this time, and I was able to pull out the travel size bottle of hydrogen peroxide and some cotton swabs. She watched with a curious glance as I unscrewed the cap and let some of the liquid pour down on the first swab. I had to fight to keep myself from chuckling as she covered her nose with her paw at the strong smelling chemical. Even without a heightened sense of smell, this stuff always reeked.

I took the freshly wetted swab between my fingers and guided it to where she had her other paw clamped over her wounded side. She looked at me challengingly. Ugh, I don't get it. What did she think I was going to do? If I wanted her dead, I could've just shot her. She was making this a heck of a lot harder than it needed to be. I let out a breathe and rubbed my opposite fingers against my brow. I was pretty much going to be treating her with an unknown substance that had a pretty awful smell. That was how she saw it. I couldn't just force my way in on this one.

"Please, I need you to move your hand." I said, keeping my tone soft and polite, asking her permission before I went to remove her paw with my other hand. She hesitated, but she didn't put up any resistance when I gradually move it aside. "Alright. Now, this is going to sting, so, sorry but you're gonna have to-"

While I had been trying to prepare her for what was going to happen, some of the solution dripped off the swab and dropped onto her wound. She let out a startled shriek and went for her staff. I acted strictly on reflex. My hand latched onto her wrist and pulled it away. Past the point of no return already, I snatched up the open bottle of peroxide from the grass and splashed a good amount on her wound, knowing that no amount of coaxing was going to get to let me apply it regularly now. But in that same instance, her other hand came out at my right cheek, claws bared.

I pulled back, but not fast enough.

"AGH!" I screamed as I felt the tips dig into the most vulnerable area of my face, slicing through the skin like a butcher's knife. I recoiled back, clutching the side of my face. At once, I felt intense anger flare up inside my head before I had to consciously clamp down on it. No. No! Calm down. It had been my decision to rashly apply the peroxide. I should've seen it coming. If anything it was my fault for not being prepared. Damn if that didn't hurt though!

I looked back at the vixen, who was clutching her side with both hands as the drug took effect. As soon as the pain died down, she removed her paws and stared agape at her former wound. The hydroxide had bubbled up and was nearing the end of its cycle. White foam covered the gash, but she also seemed to realize that it had stopped the bleeding.

Still with a job to do, I peeled my hand away from my own cut and approached her once more. I reached for the bottle and poured the rest of its contents on my newly inflicted wound. As trained as I was, even I couldn't help but cringe and suck my teeth as I felt its stinging sensation. The vixen watched in amazement as she saw it perform first hand. "Agh…see? It only stings for a minute." I said, letting out a sigh and reaching for the gauze, pulling out some length. "Come on, let's get you bandaged up."

She seemed to understand and slowly lifted her arms up while I systematically wrapped the medical cloth around her slim figure, cutting it off at an appropriate length. I handed the end to her so she could tie it off herself. Like hell I was going to piss her off again. I chuckled at my stupid thought, causing her to look at me funny. I waved it off. Wouldn't be able to explain it anyway and I think she got that. She surprised me in the next second though, suddenly reaching up and cupping my chin in her paw and leaning in closer, her thumb gliding over near my wound. My skin tingled. Her fur felt so soft. Softer than any felt or carpet I'd ever experienced.

Clearing my throat, I pulled back and turned away slightly, and waving a hand lightly for the second time. "Don't worry, it not that bad." I said dismissively. "I've had plenty worse." I said in the most reassuring tone I could muster. As I looked back, there was a small momento of guilt that came over her eyes, but it was gone so quickly it could've been written off. Didn't really matter either way.

A bit of an awkward silence passed between us as I tried to think of how I could convey what I felt I needed to say next.

"Can you walk?" I asked. Of course, she didn't get it and I shook my head. This was so stupid. I got up and started walking in place to re-iterate my point. She chuckled softly at this and grabbed a hold of her staff, using it to lift herself. At least my self-depreciative mime work conveyed what I needed from her. Didn't stop the chuckle from making me feel any less like a fool.

She did manage to get herself standing, one paw back to clutching her bandaged side. She went to take a step, but her leg buckled under her weight and she started to tumble forward. I swiftly reached out and caught her arm, steadying her with the help of her staff.

"Sihjoj, A mijk xulo jfhuadot m0 udbco." She spat in clear frustration. "A'm jehh0, rik seict 0ei xocf mo ad wokkadw rusb ke m0 laccuwo?" She asked, looking up at me with her emerald eyes.

I wasn't entirely sure what the first part was all about, but I could tell that she was asking for help. From the looks of it, she might've sprained or maybe twisted her leg judging from what transpired a few seconds earlier. She probably needed help walking, but I knew it wouldn't be good for her to walk on an injured foot. So, I bent down, scooped an arm underneath both her legs and lifted her up into a bridal style carry. She gasped in surprise at my sudden action, but there was really nothing I could've said to explain to her what I was going to do beforehand anyway. She'd just have to deal. Wait, was it just me, or did the fur around her cheeks just get a shade or two lighter?

It was probably just another illusion caused by the light, like with her eyes from before.

"Im...m0 laccuwo ajd'k vuh unu0. Akj ureik kxhoo sceithidj ad kxuk tahoskaed." The vixen in my arms muttered, pointing off in the direction I'd originally been heading. I guess that was where she wanted me to go. Well, hopefully when we get back to wherever she was staying, I might be able to find shelter for the night. Maybe even meet more of…whatever species this was on this strange new world. No, I should probably start addressing this place for what I now knew it was.

Planet.


End file.
